Grooving and equalizing machine.



i. V. RICHARDSON.

GROOVING AND EOUALIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. 19.15.

L2%3,@30 Patented 00a 16,1917:

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APPLICATION FILED MAR- 15. 1915- ill: 1, J in m w QWW WMW i? 5 J. V. RICHARDSON.

GROOVING AND EQUALIZING MACHINE.

APPLlCATION FILED MAR. 15. 1915.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

3 $HEETS-SHEET 3- Z1 52 5a 40 a 4/ 1 Witnesses Inventor y L Atto OFFICE.

JOSEBH V. RICHARDSON, 0F GOSHEN, INDIANA.

GRQOVING- AND EQUALIZING MACHINE.

Application filed March 15, 1915.

ther, the stiles are cut off at their ends otherwise than at a right angle to the length of the stiles, so that the stiles at their lower ends will cooperate properly with a support when the stiles are inclined and to the end that the upper extremities of the stiles may, if desired, receive a top plate, the top plate standing. in ahorizontal position when. the

' stiles are inclined.

One object of the present invention, in view of the foregoing is to provide a machine which, in a single operation, will out all of the grooves inthe stiles to receive the steps and trim off the ends of the stiles at an acute angle to the length of the stiles.

It is within the scope of the invention to provide novel means for retaining the stiles in place while the same are being grooved and cut; to improve the drivingmechanisms whereby movable parts are actuated; to pro vide means whereby, at the will of the operator stiles may be trimmed off at their ends without cutting grooves in the stiles; and, generally, to improve and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description, proceeds, the. invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of. the invention herein disclosed can. be made within the scope of what isclaimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a top plan;

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation; I Fig.3 is aside elevation;

Fig. 4t is a fragmental front elevation showing the means whereby the table is raisedand lowered;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Serial No. 14,5l8.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental vertical sectional detail taken through one of the grooving cutters;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the product which the machine is adapted to turn out.

In order to facilitate the description and in order that a clear understanding of the structure may be obtained, that end of the device to which the reference character A is applied in Fig. 3 may be denominated the front end of the machine, the rear end of the machine being designated by the reference character B.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided a supporting frame of any desired form and denoted generally by the numeral 1. Located above the frame 1 and connected thereto by hinges H is a table 2. Screws 3 are threaded into extensions at constituting a part of the supporting frame 1, the upper ends of the screws 3 bearing against wear plates 5 which, as shown in Fig. 4:, are carried by the table 1- adjacent the forward end thereof. By manipulating the screws 3, the free end of the table may be raised and lowered for a purpose which will be described fully hereinafter, but at this place it may be stated briefly that the function of the screws 3'in raising the table 2 is to permit the ends of the stiles of a step-ladder to be cut off at an angle, withoutgrooving the stiles to receive the steps.

Journaled for rotation in the supporting frame 1 near to the rear, lower portion thereof is a drive shaft 6 which, as shown in Fig. 2, extends entirely across the frame, the drive shaft being held for rotation in bearings 7. Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the shaft 6 but in the present instance, the same carries-at one end, fixed and loose pulleys 8 appearing clearly in Fig. 1. Secured to the shaft 6 is a pulley 9 about which-is trained a belt 10, the belt being passed about a pulley 11 secured to a relativelyshort transverse shaft 12 journaled, as-shown in Fig. 4, in a bearing 14 carried by the supporting frame 1 near to the upper forward corner thereof as will be understood from Fig. 8. The shaft 12 carries, within the contour of the supporting frame 1, a. pulley 15 about which is trained a belt 16, the same being extended downwardly and being passed around a pulley 17 secured to a shaft 18 journaled on the supporting frame 1 near to the lower forward portion thereof. Attached to the shaft 18 is a sprocket wheel 19 about which is, trained a slack sprocket chain 20 engaged with a sprocket wheel 21 secured to a shaft 22'journaled for rotation in the vertically adjustable table 2 near to the forward end of the table. The shaft 22 extends entirely across the table 2 as shown in Fig. 1, and secured to the shaft 22 intermediate its ends are sprocket wheels 23 carrying slack conveyor chains 24 provided with upstanding fingers 41. '1 he conveyer chains 24 are passed about sprocket wheels 25 carried bya shaft 26 journaled in the rear portion of the table 2. A skilled mechanic will understand that the shaft may rotate with the sprocket wheels 25, or the sprocket wheels 25 may rotate on the shaft 26, the latter being fixed. In conne'ction with the conveyor chains 24, it is to be observed that the table 2 is of a longitudinally slatted construction so that the chains 24 and their fingers 41 may exercise their proper functions with respect to the material which is being worked upon.

At this point, the description of the machine may properly be suspended to permit an examination of the product.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, one stile of a step-ladder is shown and denoted by the numeral 27. The beveled ends of the stile 27 appear at 58, and the step receiving grooves in the inner face of the stile are shown at 59.

The stile 27 is laid on the table 2, as shown in Fig. 1 and is engaged by certain of the fingers 41 on the conveyer chains 24, the stile-engaging fingers 41 being so selected by the operator that the length of the stile 27 is not disposed at right angles to the conveyer chains 24. If the stile 27 be now advanced from the front of the machine toward the rear end thereof, and'if suitable mechanism is provided, the ends of the stile 27 will be trimmed ed on a bevel, as indicated at 58.

The driving train whereby theoonveyer chains 24 are actuated embodies the shaft 6, the pulley 9, the belt 10, the pulley 11, the shaft 12, the pulley 15, the belt 16, the shaft 18, the sprocket wheel 19, the sprocket chain 20, the sprocket wheel 21, the shaft 22 and the sprocketvwheels 23. By means of the driving train above described, when the conveyor chains 24 are, actuated, the fingers of the conveyer chains will advance the stile 27 in the inclined relation shown in Fig. 1, thus to deline'the angles at which the bevels 58 are formed.

The mechanism whereby'the ends of the stiles27 are cut as shown at 58 will nowbe described.

Carried by the table 2 adjacent the sides thereofv are upstandingv brackets 28 supporting a cross bar 29 which may be in the form away from each other on the 'saw'shaft 33,

and with this end in view, the saws 34 are provided in their hubs with set screws 35 adapted to engage the saw shaft. in order to secure a rotation of the saw shaft 33, the

same is provided at one end with a pulley 38 about which is trained a belt 3-7 passed'about a pulley 36' secured tofone end of the drive shaft 6. Y

A means is provided whereby the stile 27 is held down while the same is being cut terminally by means of the saws 34 and while the stile is being grooved as shown at 59 by a mechanism to be described hereinafter. The mechanism for holding down the stile 27 embodies guides 39 formed upon or attached to the crossbar 29. The

guides 39 are provided with set screws 40' adapted to engage uprights 42 vertically adjustable in the guides, the uprights .42 being provided attheir lower ends with bearings 43 in which is jou'rnaledfor rotation a roller 44, the roller being adapted to engage the stile 27 while the same is being operated upon.

A means isz-provided for guiding the stile 27 with respect to the table'2 and, to

some extent, for holding down the stile upon the table. This mechanism comprises a pair of upright standards 45 attached to the table 2 as shown in Fig. 3, bearings 46 being yieldably mounted upon the 'stand-' ards 45 for vertical movement. Threaded onto the upper ends of the standards45 are nuts 47, compression springs 48 being interposed between the nuts 47 and the bearings 46, a roller 49 being journal'ed'in the bearings. The roller 49 is yieldably pressed against thestile 27 bythe action of the springs 48 and the compressive effect of the springsmay be adjusted by means of the nuts 47. l 1

The, mechanism whereby the grooves 59 are formed in the stile 27 embraces a shaft 50 extended transversely. of the supporting frame 1 and ournaled in bearings 64 thereon. Attachedto the shaft 50'are any desired number of cutters 51 located below the roller 49. The cutters 51 may be variously formed but, as indicated in Fig. 5, they may comprise side plates .52 having teeth 53, the side plates being connected by transverse knives 54. Thecutters 51 serve to fashion the grooves 59 in the stiles 27. The shaft 50 is provided with pulleys 55 engaged by belts 56 trained around pulleys 57 on the drive shaft 6, the drive shaft thus constituting a means whereby the shaft 50 and its cutters 51 are rotated.

At times it may be desirable to cut off the ends of the stile 27 as shown at 58, without fashioning the grooves 59. Under such circumstances, the screws 3 are manipulated, the table 2 being raised until the upper surface thereof is above the upper portions of the grooving cutters 51. Then, as the stile 27 is advanced by the conveyor chains 24:, the end saws 3st alone will act, the stile emerging from the machine with its ends beveled as shown at 58 the grooves 59 being absent.

The front roller it may be raised and lowered by loosening the ,set screws which engage the uprights l2. Projecting rearwardly from the cross bar 29 are hori zontal arms 60 to the rear ends of which are attached adjustably, vertical bars 61, the latter preferably being provided with vertical slots 62 receiving adjustably bolts 68 or like clamping means mounted in the arms 60. The bars 61 carry at their lower ends, shoes 61 which serve to hold down the product while the same is being operated upon as hereinbefore described.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that there is disclosed in this application a simple mechanism whereby in a single operation, the ends of the stiles 27 may be cut off diagonally as shown at 58 and whereby the grooves 59 may be formed, it being possible, at the will of the operator to make the end cuts indicated at 58, without groov- T ing the stiles aS shown at 59.

As will be understood readily, the hand screws 30 are employed for raising and lowering the end-trimming saws 34.

The supporting frame 1 and the table 2 may be described under the general designation of a support.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a machine for end-trimming and grooving ladder stiles, a frame; a stilesupporting table vertically adjustable with respect to the frame; a substantially horizontal shaft journaled on the frame; stilegrooving cutters carried by the shaft; a second shaft supported for rotation on the table independently of the frame; end trimming saws carried by the second shaft, the second shaft being disposed above the table to locate the axis of rotation of the endtrimming saws above the table; means for raising the table to render the end-trimming saws alone operative; and means carried by the table for feeding stiles with respect to the saws and the cutters.

2. In a machine for end-trimming and grooving ladder stiles, a supporting frame; a work-supporting table pivotally assembled with the frame for vertical adjustment; work feeding means coiiperating with the table; a grooving cutter carried by the frame; an end-trimming saw carried by the table and means cooperating with the table to raise the same, thereby to render the endtrimming saw alone operative.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH V. RICHARDSON.

lVitnesses:

W'ILLIAM J. DAVIS, L. V. MAcnoNALn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

